Train Navette Rapide

The French: Train Navette Rapide ("Fast Shuttle Train", more commonly known as the "TNR" or "Aouita") is a Moroccan rail service operated by the ONCF. Its first phase runs from Casablanca to Kénitra with a half-hourly service in each direction, between 6 a.m. and 9.30 p.m. The concept was based on existing Moroccan transport links.

Train Navette Rapide Casablanca-Kenitra
Train at Rabat-Ville railway station
Overview
Other name(s)Aouita
TerminiCasa-Port
Kenitra-Medina
ServicesTNR Casablanca-Kenitra
Ridership15 million (2010)[1]
Operation
Opened1984
OwnerKingdom of Morocco
Operator(s)ONCF
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

TNR Casablanca - Kenitra

History

On 21 May 1984, following the doubling of the Casablanca—Rabat line, the TNR made its first journey on the line from Casa-Port to Rabat-Ville. It was named the "Aouita". It connected the two cities with 14 trains a day in each direction, journeys taking under an hour. The TNR service was provided by eight EMUs, each with 271 seats and air conditioning.

Spurred by its success, the ONCF added 32 centre-aisle coaches in 1992, and in 1995 added a second series of six air-conditioned EMUs.

To improve the service, more infrastructure projects were undertaken to extend the line to Salé and on to Kénitra, which was made possible by doubling the line between them (in 1992) and constructing a tunnel at Rabat Agdal (in 1996).

In 2002, the service was increased to sixty trains a day in each direction (30,000 seats/day), half-hourly during off-peak and every 15 minutes during peak hours.

In 2010, the TNR carried over 15 million passengers, half of the entire traffic, with 3 million season-ticket holders.[1]

Route map
TNR Casablanca-Kenitra
Casa-Port AB
Ain Sabaâ AB
Mohammédia
Bouznika
Shikrate
Témara LB
Hay Ryad LB
Rabat-Agdal LB
Rabat-Ville LB
Salé-Ville LB
Salé-Tabriquet LB
Bouknadel
Kenitra-Ville
Kenitra-Medina

Plans

Service improvements
  • Increase of train frequency to 15 minute intervals, and 5 minute intervals in peak hours. This will be possible with the implementation of ETCS signalling.
  • Construction of the LGV Tanger-Casablanca and tripling of tracks between Rabat and Casablanca to separate slower and high-speed trains, and to improve the speed of the TNR at the Casablanca-Kenitra hub.[2]

Extension

An extension of the TNR service in the north-west of Kenitra is also planned, to serve the Atlantic Free Zone and the town of Sidi Yahya El Gharb.

Enlargement

The TNR concept has been rolled out to other lines:

By steadily increasing the number and frequency of trains, the TNR has become part of daily life for a new generation of commuters, the "navetteurs".

Route map

See also

References
  1. "Trains Navettes Rapides". ONCF (in French). Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  2. Barbouch, Rachid (8 October 2011). "Le TGV marocain" [Moroccan TGV]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  3. "TNR Casablanca - Settat". L'Economiste (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2014.


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